Article display container

ABSTRACT

A container of plastic material for articles comprising as a particular embodiment a razor and concomitants such as a blade dispenser, the container embodying three main elements comprising a base, a masking platform and a cover, the base having depressions or pockets or other means for releasably holding the article parts in predetermined positions, the platform being normally positioned over the base and having viewing openings therethrough registering with the respective article parts, the base and platform being cast of plastic as a one piece unit with integral flexible hinges, the cover being originally cast separately but in assembly permanently secured over the platform, and the base and platform unit being composed of opaque material and the cover of transparent material whereby with the container closed the article parts are viewable through the cover at the platform window openings.

States aten 1191 Braginetz 4] ARTICLE DISPLAY CONTR Paul A. Braginetz, Augusta County, Calif.

22 Filed: Apr. 19,1972

21 Appl. No.: 232,164

[75] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl 206/45.l4, 206/4534, 206/228, 206/232, 220/31 S [51] Int. Cl 865d 25/10, B65d 77/28 [58] Field of Search .1 206/4519, 45.14, 16 A; 220/31 S [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,521,184 9/1950 Paige 205/4519 2,522,049 9/1950 Lang l 206/4519 X 2,667,966 2/1954 .lepson et al..... 220/31 S X 3,095,965 7/1963 Stahl et a1 l 206/16 A 3,256,892 6/1966 Esposito, .lr. 220/31 S 3,327,841 6/1967 Schurman et al 206/4519 X 3,682,597 8/1972 Husch 206/4519 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,133,316 11/1968 Great Britain 220/31 s 1451 July 9, 1974 Primary ExaminerLeonard Summer Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Watson Leavenworth Kelton & Taggart 7] ABSCT A container of plastic material for articles comprising as a particular embodiment a razor and concomitants such as a blade dispenser, the container embodying three main elements comprising a base, a masking platform and a cover, the base having depressions or pockets or other means for releasably holding the article parts in predetermined positions, the platform being normally positioned over the base and having viewing openings therethrough registering with the respective article parts, the base and platform being cast of plastic as a one piece unit with integral flexible hinges, the cover being originally cast separately but in assembly permanently secured over the platform, and the base and platform unit being composed of opaque material and the cover of transparent material whereby with the container closed the article parts are viewable through the cover at the platform window openings.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED JUL 9874 SHEET 1 BF 3 PATENTEDJUL sum SHEEI 2 0F 3 IPMENTEBJUL "91974 SHEEI 3 OF 3 w mi ARTICLE DISPLAY CONTAINER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention is in the field of plastic containers for small articles such as safety razors which are commonly accompanied by dispensers. Such containers are usually for shipping, display and storage purposes and often comprise orinclude transparent plastic parts through which the articles may be viewed. The containers in some instances embody three main components comprising a base, a tray and a cover. The US. Pat. Nos. Metzler et al, 2,925,905 Stahl et al, 3,095,965 and Levey et al, 3,370,697 are examples. However, in each of these patents the intermediate component is a removable tray in which are located the articles.

The container of the present invention embodies as one of its features a so-called living hinge that is a plastic hinge connection of flexible material cast integrally between major parts. There are many instances of such features in general in the prior art but none insofar as the present inventor is' aware in a combination and relation comparable to that of the present invention. The above noted US. Pat. No. Levey et al, 3,370,697 is an example. Other examples are the US. Pat. Nos. to Regis 3,405,836, Swartzbaugh 3,458,] 13 and Jones 3,595,433.

THE PRESENT INVENTION The present embodiment of the invention comprises a container of the general class indicated commonly referred to as a razor set box and adapted in particular to house a safety razor and its concomitants such as a blade dispenser and an instruction booklet. It includes a base part, an intermediate masking platform and a cover. The base and platform are cast of plastic as a single unit in an open flat arrangement with flexible connecting hinge means extending between and integral with the two parts. The cover is cast separately of plastic material and is then permanently secured to the platform part by suitable means such as heat sealable interengaging lugs.

The base and platform unit is of opaque material and the base has depressions or other formations of appropriate character to mount the article parts in predetermined positions and the platform has windows which register with the article parts. The cover is of transparent material and accordingly the article parts are visible with the container closed. The platform in the final assembly being fixed to the cover, it in effect becomes integral therewith and the cover and platform open together as a unit fully exposing the article parts on the base.

The various features and advantages will be made more clear from a consideration of the description to follow of an embodiment of the invention in connection with the drawings in which:

FIG. I is a fully assembled container with the articles mounted therein comprising a safety razor a blade dispenser and an instruction booklet;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the cover, masking platform and base; 7

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the assembled container;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on the plane IVIV of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the plane V-V of FIG. 3.

As shown particularly in FIG. 2 the container embodies three major parts comprising a cover 10, a masking platform 11 and a base 12. The platform 11 and base 12 are initially cast as one unitary part connected together by hinge means of a thin flexible material at the edge lines 13 and 14 respectively such integral flexible web connectors being commonly referred to as a liv- .ing hinge. As normally cast the platform and base are in open flat'condition with the platform 11 reversed in position and in a generally common plane with the connecting thin flexible web parts at the lines 13 and 14 as states.

The web connection may be continuous along the edges l3, 14 but it is sufficient to have sections thereof as indicated at 15a, 15b and 15c with intervening open spaces. The platform and base unit are cast of suitable plastic material, polypropylene being a particularly practical type which affords adequate strength and high flexibility at the hinge areas. For a reason to be described shortly the material is preferably made substantially opaque.

The cover 10 is of rectangular box-like shape with four sides and a top wall and an open bottom face. It is caste with a series of tabs 20 projecting downwardly from the bottom edges which may vary in number dependent upon the circumstances. In assembling the container the tabs 20 are engaged in complemental slots 21 in the platform 11 arranged in a pattern corresponding to the locations of the tabs 20. The tabs are secured in the openings in the platform 11 by a suitable heat-sealing means such that the tabs are distorted so that they cannot be withdrawnand the cover 10 and platform 11 become permanently secured together and may be swung open as a unit as appears particularly in FIG. 1. The cover is composed of suitable transparent plastic material which may be for example polystyrene.

The base 12. has suitable means for locating the article parts therein which includes appropriately contoured depressions and ribs. For example the base has upstanding ribs forming abox-like receptacle open at the top as indicated at 30 adapted to receive a dispenser of the type shown at 31 in FIG. 1 having the usual tongue or key part 32 which extends out through the opening 33 of the box-like opening 30. The safety razor 35 in the particular type of locating means shown has a head portion 36 adapted to be mounted in the box-like part 37 of the base 12 which includes a sloping area 38 against which the angled end face of the razor engages. The razor handle extends over and across key 32 of the dispenser and at its lower end is engaged in a saddle 40 extending upwardly from the surface of the base 12.

In the present embodiment of the invention an open top box-like receptacle 45 has four upstanding side walls providing a flat supporting platform 46 as appears particularly in FIG. 5 the platform being within a rectangular frame defined by a rib 47 extending completely around the rectangular opening. In the interest of strength but lighter weight the construction includes openings 50, j 51 and 52 as appears in the crosssectional view of FIG. 5. The rib or flange 47 defines a rectangular opening shaped and of a size generally 'to accommodate an instruction booklet 53 as appears in 3 FIG. 1 the booklet resting upon the platform surface 46.

Additional means may be provided for holding the articles in their predetermined position when the container is closed. For example the platform 11 has a finger piece 60 with a right angle lip 61 engaging over the dispenser 31 when the cover is closed and the reinforcing rib 62 on the lower face of the platform engages over and holds down the dispenser key 32. A rectangular frame 63 on the lower face of the platform 11 captures the instruction booklet on the platform area 46 of the base within the rectangular frame formed by the rib 47.

The platform 11 has openings therethrough of a suitable shape and size to expose the articles or the respective desired portions thereof below the openings to best advantage when the container is closed the cover as previously pointed out being of transparent material. For example the body portion of the dispenser extends in fact upwardly through the opening 70 in the platform the booklet or that portion of it desired is viewable through the opening 71 and the razor head is viewable through the opening 72 and the handle through the extension 73 of the opening 72. The masking platform 11 and the base 12 are as previously stated substantially opaque and may be of a selected color. By the term substantially opaque" is meant that the masking areas of the platfonn restrict the light rays sufficiently to obscure the article parts and the platform also contains structural details whereby there is produced a distinct contrast with the article parts clearly viewable through the platform openings. In general, therefore, with the container closed the respective articles are seen as if resting on the platform 1] although they are actually resting on and held on the base 12.

Suitable means are provided for holding the joined cover and platform in closed position comprising in the present case a releasable detent means shown particularly in FIG. comprising a tab 75 integral with and depending from the platform member 11 arranged to extend through an opening 76 in the main horizontal wall of the base member 12. To effect the latching the tab has an inclined latch lead 75a and the entrance to the opening 76 has a cam surface 760 inclined at about 30. The latch means is located interiorly of the container and to facilitate opening the enlarged lower end is provided with an upper rounded cam surface 75b. The container, therefore, is openable by pressure applied in the manner of opening a clam without deformation of the container outer frame parts. As an aid in effecting the opening of the container the platform and cover are provided with arc-shaped registering depressions 78 and 79 as shown best in FIG. 1.

In the opened position of the container as pictured in FIG. 1 the articles are each readily accessible for removal. The container as a whole is well adapted as a shipping and storage container for the razor and its concomitant parts and it also comprises an attractive counter display piece of merchandise.

It will be appreciated that certain changes in carrying out the method of forming the container and certain modifications in the container which embody the invention may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, and accordingly that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. An article container embodying a base having openings with articles removably mounted therein in predetermined positions, a masking platform of substantially opaque material mounted over the articles having openings registering with the respective articles shaped to expose portions of the articles and to mask off other portions, and a cover of substantially transparent material hingedly connected to the container.

2. A container in accordance with claim 1 in which the cover and masking platform are permanently secured together as a unit and the unit has a hinge connection to the base.

3. An article container in accordance with claim 1 in which said base and masking platform are of plastic material integrally cast as a unit with an integral connecting hinge, and said cover is of plastic separately cast and permanently secured to said masking platform.

4. An article container comprised of a base, a platform positionable over the base, and a cover, said base and platform being of plastic material cast as a unit with an integral connecting hinge, and said cover being of plastic material separately cast and permanently secured to said platform, said base having means for mounting articles thereon in predetermined positions and said platform having openings registering with the respective article positions to display the articles, and said base and platform being composed of substantially opaque material and the cover of substantially transparent material whereby the articles may be viewed through the cover when closed. 

1. An article container embodying a base having openings with articles removably mounted therein in predetermined positions, a masking platform of substantially opaque material mounted over the articles having openings registering with the respective articles shaped to expose portions of the articles and to mask off other portions, and a cover of substantially transparent material hIngedly connected to the container.
 2. A container in accordance with claim 1 in which the cover and masking platform are permanently secured together as a unit and the unit has a hinge connection to the base.
 3. An article container in accordance with claim 1 in which said base and masking platform are of plastic material integrally cast as a unit with an integral connecting hinge, and said cover is of plastic separately cast and permanently secured to said masking platform.
 4. An article container comprised of a base, a platform positionable over the base, and a cover, said base and platform being of plastic material cast as a unit with an integral connecting hinge, and said cover being of plastic material separately cast and permanently secured to said platform, said base having means for mounting articles thereon in predetermined positions and said platform having openings registering with the respective article positions to display the articles, and said base and platform being composed of substantially opaque material and the cover of substantially transparent material whereby the articles may be viewed through the cover when closed. 